Gravity-conveyer.



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ATTRNEY- ammi? i m www l TTTTITTIM STATES PATENT OFT-TOF.

MARTIN O. SCHWAB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GRAVITY OONVEYOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April l0, 1906.

Application filed May 29,1905. Serial No. 262,884-,

To all wir/071i, t may concern:

l `Be it known that I,\MART1N C. SCHWAB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and usefuldmprovement in Gravity-Oonveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to chutes for conveying articles from a higher to a lower elevation by gravity and in which the movement of the article is retarded in its descent.

The main object of my invention is to simplify and improve the construction of gravity-conveyers.

Other objects will appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of parts being set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of a s iral chute. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view o Fig. 1 on the line A B. Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a modification of Fig. 3 in that the interior Wall or flange isextended to form an inner core for the conveyer.

10 designates the conveyer in general and comprises an outer shell 11, an inner core 13, and an interposed spiral blade made up of plates 12'. 30, 40,- and designate different iioors of a building, which are connected by the conveyer.

31,' 41, and 51 are openings in the outer shell 11, said openings affording communication between the various floors of the building'and the chute. 42 and 52 are doors arranged to close these openings when they are not in use. The door 42 is shown in its Y raised or open position, While the door 52 is ',gentially joining the core 13 and extending to the outer shell 11. The inclined platform 33 is attached to the lower end of the spiral blade to form an extension thereof and is for the purpose of conveying the packages to the .floor 30. i If desired, the outer shell 11 may be carried down below the lower end of the spiral, as yshown in Fig. 1. The outer shell is here shown extending to the basement 20 of the building. An opening 21 may be provided for the chamber thus formed.

To increase the efficiency of the conveyer, I divide the spiral surface into two parts by means of the vertical rib or flange 1S intermediate the outer shell and the inner core. There are thus formed two arallel paths, so that articles of different c aracter may be transmitted through the chute at the same time. The lowerpart of Fig. 1 shows the spiral blade made of a plurality of plates having the ribs 18; but a single spiral blade may also be provided with a vertical rib, if desired. Furthermore, the inclined platform 33 may also be provided with a vertical separating-rib.

In order to greatly simplify the manufacture of spiral gravity-conveyers land lessen the cost of constructing them, I make the spiral blade in sections, which may be easily handled. These sections or plates 12 may be made in any desired way, as by casting them of metal or by pressing them into shape', and are provided with lugs or projections 15 and 16, whichliave holes in them adapted to receive rivets or bolts. These plates are made of a proper width and shape to fit the inner core 13 and the outer shell 11 and are suitably secured to the same. The edges of the plates are )rovided with interlocking lips 17, the upper lip of one plate 'fitting in to the under lip of the succeeding plate. This con struction is clearly shown in Fig. 1, where, as shown at C, just below the floor 50 one of the plates has not been Ysecured in position. These plates are formed so that when placed end to end, as shown, their respective surfaces will form a continuous spiral surface of the proper pitch for the conveyer. The pitch may of course be varied accordingl to the design and purpose of the chute If desired, the inner core may be omitted and the packages guided in their descent by means of the flange 19. (Shown in Fig. 3.) This flange may be continuous and connected to a spiral comprising asingle blade; but I have herein shown it made up of sections con nected to the inner ends of the plates 12. Centrifugal force tends to keep the parcels which are descending through the chute to the inner wall of the outer shell 11, and there- IOS fore the danger of their falling through the inv side of the ehut'e is reduced to a minimum. The inner core could therefore be omitted entirely; but packages may fall inside if t iere should be overcrowding, and l prefer, therefore, to provide the spiral with the inner spiral flange or raised portion 19. y

The iiange 19 may, if desired, be made of su'lieient height to meet the inner end oi the plate immediately above it. Thus, in effect, the ilanges would forni an inner eore. This construction is shown in E ig. Ll, where 19 designates such liange extensions to form an inner core. These extensions may be secured in place or to each other in any desired manner.

The outer shell could .also be made up of sections which Would Virtually be extensions of outer flanges of the plates. rlhis latter construction is not shown, as it is deemed a poor one.

Fig. 4 shows only two floors 30 and el), also aneXit-opening 21, a guiding-plate 29', and a I platform 23.

Without limiting myself to any ol the (letails or arrangement of parts herein disclosed, what l claim, and desire to have pro -tected by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The combination with a spiral blade in sections, of a sectional interior Wall for said spiral blade, and an outer Wall -lior the same.v

= 2. The combination with a spiral blade in sections, of a sectional core, and an outer Wall for the spiral surface.

v3. The combination 'with a spiral blade composed of plates With interlocking lips, vertically-extending pertionsmn said plates to form an interior Wall for the spiral surface, and an outer Wall for the spiral.

- 4. A spiral gravity-eonveyer comprising a spiral blade composed of plates havinginterair/,ere

locking lips, projections on the inner ends of said plates to `term an inner Wall for the conveying spiral, and casing inolosing said spiral blade.

5. The combination with an outer easing; or" a s iral blade Composed of plates with 1n-v Ablade of a sectional inner eore and an outer shell.

7 The combination with .a spiral blade made up oi a plurality of plates, additional plates at the inner ends of said irstknnined plates to forni an inner eore, and a casing for the spiral blade.

8. The combination with a spiral blade composed oi formed plates, of parts extending vertieally from the inner ends of said plates to form an inner core, and an outer shell Jfor the blade.

9. rihe combination with an outer shell, of a siiral blade having a continuous surface ancl being composed of formed platesf attaehed to the outer shell, and raised portions on the inner ends of said plates.

l0. ln a seiral graVity-conveyer, the coinbine-tion Witli an outer shell, of a spiral blade composed of formed plates attached to the outer shell, and upwardly extending members at er near the inner ends of said plates te forni a guiding-wall for the eoiiveyer.

ln testimony wliereolz l have signed my lname to this speeilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN C. SCHWAB.

Witnesses; Y

S. L. ScHULLna, A.Cries H. Senta isl 

